Little lost Tiki's Art Chronicles and Stuffs! Page 70!A brief Return,BUT! Some new pieces to Delight YOU!!!

Hello Kids!
just a quickie drive-by before i get to the studio and tag up everything for the big Kona swordfish show tomorrow.
if you don't know about it,then you're probably lame! :lol:
Looks like a huge crowd comin!

MDM-i think it's finally sinking in...
smaller,accessible art

1. gives you a little extra coinage
2. gets the pieces out there-thus widening exposure

Normal person-NO
Artist-YES
the more you think of yourself as an artist
the more you steer towards it
and the more you feel a responsibility to art
to practice and improve and inspire others...
werd...

. Would it be such a bad thing if 75% of the people in America recognized Kinny's work when they saw it at the mall?

it would be a bad thing if 75% of them recognized me!! :o
i would think the work is edgy and odd enough to go over a lot of people's heads... but some people just like the work for the art and completely gloss over the theme/message,so i dunno...
By the way-your war club mug turned out pretty good! it does have a Cavemanny kind of feel to it! GROG needs one!

Kiki-i'd be afraid all my friends would buy those dolls
and perform malicious voodoo on them...not worth the risk! :lol:
and thanks again for doing a lil research for me.
i appreciate it a lot!
The more we all work as a unit
the more we all can achieve our dreams!
Bedsheets and Towels...fun! fun!
Tikishark puts out some incredible towels-so does Drew brophy!
I think bigToe Towels would be way cool too!
i think i can recognize satire with
the Disney comments and stuff...duuuuuuuh! :)
momma didn't raise no dummy!
thanks for all the help,advice,and encouragement!

You're not going to turn yourself into the next Thomas Kincade by selling a few prints.

i know! i'll have to step it up a bit if i want to hit the stature of my hero..

ravers-Moai and NOM NOM dolls would be sweet!
They could battle the GROG action figure! :lol:

all y'alls crack me up! thank you! :)

Jonesy-you are a treasure!
Kudos on your contribution to that mug book! :) :) :)
It'll have to do until the 1000 page tome :lol:
i will listen to my head and heart
and not to fools
because there is the biggest fool of all within. :lol:

Crab Mentality!
Learn something new everyday!
That's the beauty of this community and
the TC Mutual Inspiration Pact...
I see so many great artists/carvers/collectors/intellectuals/doers/etc
Collectively,we all are aware of helping each other
be it organizing a show or event
answering questions/providing information and inspiration!
or hooking a bruthah up with a good drywall installer
it seems all these crabs are slowly organizing and planning
planning a way out....a way to the next generation

sounds so Utopian,but i believe we've been built with
the need to interact and the urge to be helpful..

“we all like to see our friends get ahead, but not too far ahead."

that's exactly how i feel about Clysdalle! :lol:
and Toe! and TikiShark! and...
Am i writing this out loud?
OOPS!
:lol:

heart you jonesy!
you are the thinking man's thinking man...i think! :)

Well, what started as a drive-by turned into a full-blown commentary!
Thank you all for your advice,encouragement,help,and laughter!
i can feels the love!
Still gotta get to the studio /after a library visit/
and then i gotta tag stuff for the KONA show!
I may not get any time to paint! WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

here's 4 new pieces i banged out for the vending portion of the KONA show! i'll be selling these and only a couple more paintings and a TON of drawings!!!
I'll even have a SUPER MAGICAL BOX OF BARGAINS!
so be on the lookout! :)

to save time...these are all painted with BAMBOO BEN frames!
you heard the motto "BAMBOO BEN frames make ANY art look good!"
you haven't? that's cause i made it up! :lol:
and they're either acrylic or gouache on WOOD!

"the Two Travellers"

detail!

"the Tummy Ache"

detail!

"the Hunter"

detail!

"the Drummer"

detail!

See y'all there!
buh-buoy!
:lol:

Ken, love those last two, "The Hunter" and "The Drummer"!

LLT - you are a true artist and for you there is no such thing as selling out. You consistently produce amazing work and if people finally start to take notice and your art begins to percolate into the very fabric of society then that is because it is good art not because you "sold out". I think it would be great to see your art all over the place!!!!!

Speaking of good art, those last four you posted are AMAZING - I love the drummer and the warrior and the shape of the frames. I'm bummed I won't be able to make it to the art show tomorrow night. Have fun!

Polynesiac - putting the "F" back in "ART"

[ Edited by: Polynesiac 2009-02-27 18:08 ]

"i think i can recognize satire with
the Disney comments and stuff...duuuuuuuh! :)
momma didn't raise no dummy! "

Of course! I didn't mean that you wouldn't get it. Most peeps here don't know me, so I just didn't want anyone to think I'm a weirdo. Well, I AM a weirdo, but not THAT kinda weirdo . . .
ahhh, nevermind!

Nice new pieces, drummer and hunter extra good. Can't wait to see them and you all at the show!

The Hunter and The Drummer look like those frames were created with them in mind.

Love the way you blend your work with Ben's frames--its a perfect combo!

Hey there LLT!
Great talking to you at kona!
We are delighted with our new art!
Here's a couple of snaps we just took.
Look forward to hopefully getting some more of your art soon!
Thanks for the coloring book!

[ Edited by: Iokona Ki'i 2009-03-02 14:37 ]

Damn Ken you're workin' those frames HARD!

The Hunter works bootifully with that insane frame and the Tummy Ache made me laugh (thanks for that). I like The Hunter's low-chroma color scheme.

I think you outta do a Tiki on masonite, cut it out, and put it on a burlapish panel background in one of these frames - I think that'd have a real synergy with your incredible work. Have you done that before?

I hope you had luck with finding a printer that would work with you the way you need them to.

Hey Kinny! LOVE the new pieces! Your endless inventiveness is inspirational!

And it's not selling out until you have your own line of Underoos! Ruzic underwear that's fun to wear!

Thank you again for your Dream of the Swordfish that graced (and is still gracing, until the 28th of March!) the Kona art show!

Mick Jones on "selling out"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMD7uQRAyPY

TIKI JAMMIES!!! I want 2 pair please.

Hi LLT!
Just wanted to say how much I LOVE your work!
You are so prolific and all of it is amazing.
I really enjoyed looking through your box of drawings
at Kona and am soooooo happy to have an original Ruzic
Can't wait to see your next creations!

Hula Lula

This is probably the coolest intro from an artist on TC.
Best to ya llt.

On 2006-06-15 00:21, little lost tiki wrote:
Hi folks!
I'm kinda new to this so please bear with me.I just joined yesterday,properly introduced myself in General Tiki and now would like to share some paintings with you.I'm working on pieces for an upcoming show and will post paintings,drawings,and watercolors if the response is favorable.I'd really like to meet some of you artists and art lovers in this tropical genre and would really like some input.The regular arts community is kinda schizophrenic but there must be something about a tropical breeze and a mai tai that really grounds you tiki fellars!It's 12:11 and I just got done on a painting jag but really wanted to post some work. I'll check back here every day or two and write anyone back and hopefully make some new friends! Mahalo! Ken

This one is called "Arrival of the Pineapple King" It's 6x4 foot-very fun!
The story behind it is the long-awaited return of the Pineapple King to his loyal subjects.Pretty basic.I wanted the characters to be the story in this one,Sort of like when you're at a family bbq and ,after rehashing the day in your mind,it wasn't the bbq,it was the people you encountered and joked and laughed with,Sorta that kinda vibe.....I finally got this one to post! Oh happy Day! Thanks to all of you for all your help!Hope to see y'all at some of the upcoming events or maybe on some deserted isle!

On 2009-03-03 10:56, tobunga wrote:
Hey Kinny! LOVE the new pieces! Your endless inventiveness is inspirational!

And it's not selling out until you have your own line of Underoos! Ruzic underwear that's fun to wear!

Thank you again for your Dream of the Swordfish that graced (and is still gracing, until the 28th of March!) the Kona art show!

YAAAY! I'm glad the Kona show is running until....mah birfday teehee!

kinny, you must've sold a lot cuz by the time I swung by later that night everything was practically gone, aside from the box of goodies and a few things here and there. Those new pieces though are very cute! I love the tummy ache and the hunter's :o face :lol: - and the 2 travelers one is so cool and that bamboo frame is epic! I wish I'd seen that in person!

I have pics from that night, but I am gonna upload them later tonight - especially the cute group photo of all the artists! :D

and Eric, didja say underoos?

:lol: Somehow I would imagine they be like that, but instead covered with crazy ruzic designs! :lol:

all looking tight. LOVE the 2 travelers. need to work out a trade if that hasnt already sold. :(

BigToe approves!

Haleoow!
(say it aloud for maximum effect)
Sorry for neglecting the thread
i need to Hollah back!
but i got's real bizzy on some graphic stuff
that you MAY see in the future
an' finally got to do some "ME" stuff
and satisfy the craving...
2 in the works
i got pics of one of em

But first...
Thanks everybody for livening up the discussion
and seeing how other people view the artist
not only thru their work/but the behind-the-scenes stuff
stuff that most people don't realize...
That's why so many of you artists and carvers deserve so much respect
because you live it/think it constantly/searching/discovering
planning/plotting/strategizing/writing notes on a calendar
reading contracts/doing behind-the-scenes background checks on galleries
and ....how do you explain that to the regular joe?
well i hope this thread gives folks a bit of eye candy
and a glimpse behind the curtain...

4WD Tiki-thanks Bill!long time no see! we'll have to change that!
"the Hunter" and "the Drummer" were swept up at the Kona
show...
Despite the different stylistic approaches on each
they just fit...probably because of the frames and palettes
and simplicity and boldness of theme and figures...
Glad went to a good home! :)

Polynesiac-:) :) :)
Mahalo for the slap-on-the-back!
Hard work is one thing all us art-brothers are not afraid of
except GROG!
and it's nice to hear from Ohana that the flame flares bright
and inspiration is afoot!

You consistently produce amazing work and if people finally start to take notice and your art begins to percolate into the very fabric of society then that is because it is good art not because you "sold out". I think it would be great to see your art all over the place!!!!!

i like the analogy of the art percolating into the fabric of society
i think placement sometime is more important than the work-well, it's kinda both...i guess if it's good,then people notice and trickles out like that...i still like "percolating" more...cause i'm a KWAWFEE-MAN!
as for seeing the work everywhere and all over the place...
working in the tee industry ,you see your work all over the place and on the oddest people....some way cool-just working the shirt
and others....you just wanna tear it off of them and hand em a $20 bill!
:lol:
Those last four must give due respect to BooBen
for his generosity and enthusiasm and sheer talented instinct!
without those frames-the mood may have diminished!
See you tonight at la Luz,Jim!

Kiki!-silly! That was pretty fun on Saturday at Kona! Glad you got to take a gander at that sea Monster one again! that Moai overboard is pure comic tragedy!See you at LaLuz too,weirdo! :lol:

leleliz sez

The Hunter and The Drummer look like those frames were created with them in mind.
Love the way you blend your work with Ben's frames--its a perfect combo!

Thanks! whenever i get a batch of frames,they sit in a row in the studio
and wait patiently...
Then....
either out of nowhere
or after some studies
or reading
they cry out "It is Time,kenneth! transform me!"
i would love to do a whole show collaborating with Ben
and creating awesome sheeeeit!
But now that he's Mr. Popular
he hasn't had time fir that kind of play!
Quit giving him so much business!
Give the man a rest! :lol:

Iokona Ki'i-Nice meeting you and Claudette!
Loving that oil crayon piece on black you did recently!

Hope i can remember your names at la Luz tonight!
Thanks so much for adopting the 3 shields!
Glad the 3 shields makes you happy
cause he's happy chilling in your hut next to Hula Lula on the wall!
Killer dragon you just sculpted! such personality in your work!

Robb! Master of hibiscus /Velvet/and pastels!
great talkin to you yesterday! Play is the way!
Never did the masonite/mount on burlap before
but i have mounted drawings to a papyrus backing in shadow boxes
and it looked nice!
Glad the Tummy Ache made you LAFF!

tobunga! Thanks to YOU and Manuel for your friendship and inspiration and contributions to the scene! The KONA show turned out to be a smash and we owe it all to your rallying and planning!
i would produce underoos,if only to see all my tiki artist friends wearing them! :lol:

Kiki-:lol:

Bowana-true dat,my friend! Mick knows the deal!

Sai-BABA-man! once a thread goes astray,i can always count on you to keep us on task! :)

Unga!-Thanks man!
Humble Beginnings!
I didn't know what to expect,but Holden encouraged me to post and share some of the work and here i is now!
reading that intro again...
Hilarious!
what a naive clown!
How embarrassing!
mahalo for the love,man!

ravers!-man! did you get there late! thanks for taking all those pictures of everything AND KEEPING THEM TOUR YOURSELF! :lol:
post em already! Underoos! Underoos!
why can't you all grow up!?!?!
:)

Sorry toe! 2 travellers is spoken for!
in fact, the irony of it is...
you're gonna be driving me to the gallery where the buyer will be!
At least you can visit with it on the way!
i think it's real sad how you put your arms under your tee shirt
and play guitar with your feet for change...
i suggest you quit that gig and start painting more!
Sheesh!
:lol:

alright, here's a new one i started
(also started a trumpeter ku-but fergot to shoot pix of that)
It's working title is "the land beneath the ocean"
but i'm not sure if i want it to be below the ocean...
i mean..
is a forest under the sea
more odd
than a floating boat
and fishies floating by
on the surface?
i would choose the latter
so the title may change...
here's a shot of it
after the initial black lines are set down
but before the shading is completed

and here's anudder...

here it is all blended up-a good 6 hours!

Continuing after their ordeal with the waterfall
the expedition continues....the king suddenly realizes
that the boat is no longer gliding thru the water
but floating above the carpet of forest vegetation!
His face beams with delight at the fish
all brightly decorated
slowly floating by...
what a fantastic land!

here's some close-ups to give you a sense of story...

the one rower is a bit awed and concerned...

and rower number two is freakin a bit...

and check out the Moai king's snazzy topKnot!

the oar glides thru the forest air
swaying the vegetation below..

here's a big fish!

Buncha Fish and flowers and ferns

after all that was done, i started putting Apple green for the initial ground and background vegetation

then i added a lime green for the leaves and an olive next to the ground Apple green-o give it a half lush,but also random areas where the dirt pops thru
or is more prominent
then i added the brown to the olive
for the trunks
doing light washes to suggest the bark

then the brick red-mixed with a bit of the brown
so it wasnt too intense
for the cape/lips and later-the topknots!

this is my favorite part of the piece
the joy on his face
and the wonder
are a reflection of the joy of creating
and submersing yourself fully into a world
and being able to transfer that onto paper
to share = the best! happy! yay!

and not wanting to disappoint our more juvenile audience...
FULL FRONTAL NUDITY!

shades of the emperor's new clothes! :lol:

That's it for today!
more later!

Bye Now!

"I wanna be,
Unda da sea,
inna octo-Ruzic garden,
...inna boat!"

Beeeeeeautiful idea, and execution so far...
Love the step by step, and color choice explanations.
Lookin forward to seeing this in person latter in the month!

B~

On 2009-03-07 12:32, little lost tiki wrote:
ravers!-man! did you get there late! thanks for taking all those pictures of everything AND KEEPING THEM TOUR YOURSELF! :lol:
post em already! Underoos! Underoos!
why can't you all grow up!?!?!
:)

whoops! Yer right!

I should totally upload those pics!!! Camera is in the car ready for tonight's event, and the battery is chargin!
depending how tonight goes (if I don't party too hard with the WeeG at the ghastly show) then I'll have them late tonight and if not, definitely tomorrow! :lol: promise!

On 2009-03-07 12:32, little lost tiki wrote:

here it is all blended up-a good 6 hours!

Y'know lookin' at this with no color other than the outline and blue ya gave it...it looks awesome like this!

So I can only imagine how mind-blowing it'll look like once you completely finish!

On 2009-03-07 12:32, little lost tiki wrote:

after all that was done, i started putting Apple green for the initial ground and background vegetation

Especially this~ maaan I can't wait till ya add more colors!

This whole piece makes me smile, because of each lil moai guy's reaction! Especially the nekkid king! He's so carefree and loving every minute of this wild lil discovery and journey they are going through. He doesn't even care if they are swimmin' with the fishies! Unlike that poor middle moai - so spooked!
:)

:lol: and that one in the middle:

On 2009-03-07 12:32, little lost tiki wrote:

He's so priceless!

On 2009-03-07 12:32, little lost tiki wrote:

FULL FRONTAL NUDITY!

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

TikiShark!
you're always welcome at the octo-Ruzic garden!
been wanting to take this theme/style and expound on it
gather enough scenarios for a calender or prints
or that kid's book...
Chagall says the main ingredient of painting is love
more than anything else....
Love of beauty/nature/adventure...
I see that in your work,Brad
especially the newer Tiki Kitty piece!
Can't wait to hit that Todd Schorr show
with you month's end!
long Drives and Art talk...

Ravers-still waiting to see those KONA pics....
i was thinking the same thing aout the tonal blue phase of the new piece
but white scares me
so i have to cover it up!:lol:
it's nice that it gives a sense of what it's to become
just enough to keep the piece going
to keep interest
and to develop the narrative..
added more colors on Saturday before the big Mugbook show
but haven't worked on it since!
Might shoot down and grab another progress pic tonight
when i grab my library books to return!
Glad you like the nervous middlemoai!
Always helps a story when you have one frantic passenger!
Fun seeing you on Saturday!

not Fun that Weeg bailed on you

and made Tom and i drive you home!

Bad Weeg!
didn't get home til 4:30!
Toe prolly didn't make it til 5-ish!
Thank him for gettin us in the doghouse!
:(

also... last day of my weekly eBay auction...
http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=31503&forum=12&2
go cheggitoWt!
thankies!

HelloooooooOOOOOOOooooooooOOOOOO!
http://www.kenruzic.com
http://www.myspace.com/kenruzicdotcom

[ Edited by: little lost tiki 2009-03-09 09:20 ]

well-Drive by progress shots!

started this one a while ago
but never shot it...or finished it yet!
"the horn blower"

detail

also, here's the latest piece...

details...

here are the moais after some gray washes of ink..

pretty topknot on da king!

i likes fishies!

HAAAAAAAAAAAALP!

to be continued....Later kiddies!

Fan-tiki-tastic! Seems like the colors are brighter than your usual? Maybe it's more reds and purples in with the blues and green?

On 2009-03-11 18:38, little lost tiki wrote:

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It reminded me of this: G.I. Joe - Snow

Anyway, purdy colors! Moai Adventures look fun! poor lil nervous feller! :lol:

LLT, it's amazing that a person like you can do artwork like this. You must be one of those idiot savants or something.

Kenny, it's always fun to come and check this thread. You have real nice stuff here. :)

Mike

Seems like the colors are brighter than your usual? Maybe it's more reds and purples in with the blues and green?

Your creativity and curiosity and energy are noteworthy,my friend!
You just keep on breaking ground and busting roadblocks!

the colors seem more saturated because i worked on a purely white piece of Aquarelle Watercolor paper,instead of doing a tissue paper stain first..
The tissue paper stained ones already have ground colors that "knock back" any inks placed atop it...i like that technique for a dappled lighting effect/or rippling waters/or a misty un worldliness...

Also when you place certain colors next to or near each other,you can make a piece shimmer/agitate/mute down/or brighten...
it's like God's little miracle
these colors are....

ravers....
Okay! Okay! We get it!
You like the freaked out Moai...
I do not plan on these gents being rescued by G I Joe
so don't even think about it!

GROG wrote...

LLT, it's amazing that a person like you can do artwork like this. You must be one of those idiot savants or something.

and you,dear caveman
must be one of those bad comedians or something....
IDIOT savant....
that not PC anymore!
all the Idiots took offense..
We call it "mentally/socially challenged savant disorder" and it affects 1 out of every 7 artists...
Please come and visit again
after you've found your humor!
:lol:

hiltiki-
hey cutey! It seems i see you for 2-3 minutes at a time
at these events.... I figger we'll have a whole hours worth of time
together by year's end! :)
Thanks for popping in! Always nice to hear from you!

Now, dear friends.....
i think the title "the land beneath the ocean" is not where i want to be with this one...I want it to be above the surface in a strange land
where the boats just so happen to float
along with the fish..
Visit to the forest of the floating Fish?
i need help with a title that has nothing to do with the ocean
but emphasizes the mysterious forest and the boat crew...
anyone got any suggestions?

How about "The idiot savants journey to the mysterious forest of the floating fish" ?

:lol:

Ernie! you found it!
You got your sense of humor back!
YAY!
:lol:

Your style is getting more and more and more beautiful. How's that even possible, I don't get it?! But I'm very glad I'm around to watch it! WOW!

This piece looks awesome! I agree with Ravenne. You had me at white and blue paint.
Amazing color work! Love the vertical lines of the trees interacting with the boat. For the title,
I think what you said earlier "The forest of floating fish" has a good ring to it.

[ Edited by: Iokona Ki'i 2009-03-12 22:47 ]

Aloha!
i just gotta say...
if you haven't seen Robb Hamel's velvet hibiscus
or tikiShark's latest aloha kitty go NOW!
you can always visit here on Monday or Tuesday
and I'll have a couple of the new drawings properly scanned...
have a NEW painting
based on an OLD painting
from 2002...
but more on that later.

first i wanna say hi to my friends....
Hi Clarita!
Mahalo girl!!!
I just wish that I would get more beautiful!
If i were most excellently beautiful
i could paint ugly paintings all day
but wouldn't care
'cause i'd be BEAUTIFUL! :lol:
Sorry!
What were we talking about?
:)
How is it possible?
My uncle David told me that the best way to be a better artist was to practice/practice/practice
until it's not practice anymore
but actual worthwhile meaningful artwork...
you know how that is!
look at the progress/advancement we've all made
just by sticking to it and doing it til we gots better and better!
Artistic Advancement is rampant here in Other Crafts!
Can't wait to see you advance from bamboo to even "nobler" woods!
How awesome is that gonna be!?!?
Thanks for the visit,sweetie!!

Iokona Ki'i
Thanks for poppin by for a visit!
Tiki ti was hilarious!
How was that Down Syndrome coconut hula monkey
behind the bar? :lol:
thank you for diggin
"the LAND of the FISH"
final title..
I know you really liked the title
"The forest of floating fish"
i really wanted something short and snappy
and the contrast of land and fish
was all that was needed
let the viewer fill in the rest!
the intersecting of lines
helps to create a world of both graphic flatness
and a spatial
in front of
behind
at the same time
so it's a solidity/transparency thing
as well as the cubist aesthetic of differing views of objects and their relation to each other
also the transparency adds to the dreamy feel
so it kinda works on a bunch of levels..
thanks for bringing that up!
that's why i love talking to artists!

Well, "Land of the Fish" is done!
but I'm scanning it tomorrow so you might have to wait on the EYE-POPPIN results!
Also, got to buy some textured COLD-PRESS paper
to try some fabric print/narratives in a courser
more primitive style....
speaking of new art supplies...
BigToe bought a JUNKLOAD of canvases
and i bought lotsa pens and paints and paper and brushes
at last weekend's 25% off sale at the Art Supply Warehouse in Westminster! YAY!
art supplies are a beautiful thing.....

stained up a bunch of paper recently....

and did this "the faraway gift for Pele"
with some Maoris bringing a pineapple flame bowl to the goddess....why not?
I'll have an actual scan soon, but here's a blurry teaser shot...

Oh! before i forget...
Big toe,tobunga,and myself have recently
been invited to grace the walls at
the Picture Show gallery in Seal Beach
531 main Street, to be exact!
Pop in there and say Aloha to Mike in there!
Great collection of Surf artists,Tiki artists,
and many more surprises! and a great Mexican restaurant down the street!

enough! enough of this mindless drivel....
ART! ART!
'member earlier?
"a NEW painting
based on an OLD painting
from 2002..."
here's the old painting...
I had just sold this piece recently
it was the painting that really got me jazzed on doing a kid's book...
the original LLT narrative
it's called
"Little lost Tiki listening to the fishes' Song"
based on a short scene i had written
which i won't type out right now
but will post when i can find it and copy it.....

i really have always loved this piece for the simplicity
the innocence, the melancholy,the sweetness of it
at least to me
and the new {sniff!} owner :(
jus' kidding!
Anyways, since it's being shipped to a new home along with my lonely cannibal,i thought it would be good to spend a day with it
look at it /re-study it/and........
Try it again! 7 years later!
Could i still capture the same sense of wonder/ the same innocence and sweetness?
let's find out!
Here's how it looked 2 days ago...
My last BIG Bamboo Ben frame
something befitting a Master such as Ben
a piece he would be proud to have collaborated with!
Soooooooooo....
with that Sword of Damocles over my head
sketched out in water-soluble pencil
just winging it with acrylic washes
i used a Payne's gray to do the intial shading
because the original had that
so here's what i got so far....

i decided to revamp the little lost tiki into a bit more cuter character....
no more frown,but a sweet surprise kind of smile!

and then yesterday, i added some colored washes over the Payne's gray...

here's two closer up views
Eyes Left!

Eye's Right!

i wanted it to have a little more activity
but still even tho there's a bunch of crazy stuff happening around
almost like they're frozen
or in slow-motion...

Here's a close-up of the little lost Moai
with his gentle smile....

changed up the boat a little
from the original piece...
here's a detail of the prow...

here's one of the volcano islands

i wanted to give this whole piece a shallow water feel
wait til i start doing the flowers ABOVE and BELOW the surface of the water! Wheeeeeeeeee!

decided to add a Seahorse....
cause i love them!

havin some fun mixing fact and fantasy with these fishies!

LA!LA!LAAAAAAAAAA!

Here's an ultra close-up of the acrylic wash on the gessoed wood...
this is going to be a Beautiful SHELL someday!

This is a 2x3-footish sized one and is gonna be soooooo fun to paint!

that's it1 I gotta o to work tomorrow! YAWNERS!
G'night Crew! Thanks for a'visitin!

Wow!
Perhaps the change in tone reflects your view of life now, as apposed to seven years ago. I think your painting skills have taken leaps forward and this new "Listening to the fish's Song" will kick the old one's ass! Well, I do really dig the dark and moody feel of the old one, but jeeze, the new one is this explosion of fishy-Aloha-ness that's sort of hard to resist.
B~

Something fishy going on here. I love the flying/leaping/dancing
fishies, very cool as usual.

Great stuff! Is that a self portrait in the upper left corner :lol:

Love the seahorse. How can you look at a seahorse and not know that God has a sense of humor!

Hey Brad!
Lovin the new detail on that underbrush and your tiki is really gettin real!
All that painstaking detail! YumYum!
Makes me wish i would slow down...
I agree.... It's been 7 years worth of practice AND deeper research into Oceanic Art
not that much of that is shown here,but the MINDSET feels different..
More planning,less unintentional "wingin it", i guess...
I think I'm trying to go a few notches above dark and moody
but still toned down
more from the what i have right now
with the present incarnation.
looking back at all of us...
wow!
Great leaps and advances!
What a solid group of dedicated arteestos!

congatiki
pun.hahaha! i love puns....
This whole piece and the birth of the story
came from a lil catnap at the studio....
the shallowness of the cool water
the flowers,both above and below the surface
the torches suddenly lighting up
and suddenly
the fish!
happy fish splashing and dancing and singing!
I'll never be able to capture that exact dream
but it was just so moving and atmospheric and sweet
that i HAVE to try and get it a bit closer
so i can share it with y'all!
Thanks for poppin in for a spell!

Mike!

Dude, you inspire me with your determination,creativity,and
"just go-for-it"ness!
Keep on Truckin...you're getting better every piece!
Bacon clay! :lol:
Aren't ALL paintings kinda self-portraits?
:lol:
Actually, that piece is called "Beggar reading a blank piece of paper"
and i think it's from 94-95... a while ago..
that reminds me...i should photograph it huh?
too esoteric for most,so there it sits on the wall....
as for the Seahorse....
i loves the Seahorse...
Octopi too! :)
and Squids!
i love Squids!
:)
God does have a sense of humor
when it comes to how varied and odd this whole world is
when it comes to animals...
Here's a couple of other examples of seahorse from paintings past...

"Stained glass Seahorse"

here's an ink and sharpie study

Here's a virgin Mary apparition under the waves
flanked by seahorse...
"Our lady of the Sea warning her children of the approaching Apocalypse"
(long story...don't all artists go on BVM apparition jags?)

Also did a Monsanto lockheed martin Seahorse
an animal machine weapon thingy
(don't all artists go on book of revelation/Endtimes conspiracy jags?)

Been doing octopi while Clysdalle was in diapers! :lol:
Octopus are sooooooo 1998!
Anyways,thought you'd groove on those Blasts from the Pabst! :)

First off....
"Land of the Fish"...done!
next stained glass piece will involve a reflection in the waves...
(reminds me of a creepy story about these sailors that got washed overboard
during a storm
and throughout the journey,the faces of the victims (5-7 i think)
appeared on the waves...
there's a total creeples photo of the faces in the waves....
shudder!
Back to "Land of the Fish"...done!
ink and pencil on aquarelle watercolor paper (i love to say that!)
100% cotton! :lol:

I'm pleased with the whole thing,but maybe one or two areas
but hey! learning process,huh?
I wanted to give the suggestion of beams of lights thru trees
an overall sense of quiet
a range of emotions on the crewmembers
and fish floating silently by....

the KING!

the rowers.....er.... rower and blubbering hysteric...

Fishies!

Got some COLD-PRESS Aquarelle 100% cotton watercolor paper this weekend
to try some fast/rough/textile print-ish pieces
just to play with colors and ink and bleach,etc.

Got 6-7 pages with base colors
just awaiting some more ink and bleach and gold ink...

"Spirit dance"
ink/tissue paper/bleach/gold metallic ink on w/c paper

i looooove this rough texture!
it looks like the objects are floating above the surface!
MAGIC!
:)

next one's a bit more colorful
"Jungle melody"
ink/tissue paper/bleach/gold metallic ink on w/c paper

this one -after the ink and bleaching and rinsing off
i took a black piece of paper and lazed it atop the drawing
(some of the bleached areas were glaringly white!
so this would tone it down...)
and stomped all over it
pressing the black paper onto the wet drawing
and VIOLA!
it made the fuggincooliest texture i'd seen in a while!
and i see a lot of textures,mind you....
Here! Cheggitout!

:) :) :) :)

and last, but not least...
"the faraway gift for Pele"
ink/tissue paper/bleach/pencil on w/c paper

I figured the Manaia/Maoris may have established trade with the Hawaiian deities
and part of the tribute would be to slough thru a lake of lava to present a
delightful gift,don't you agree?

mmmm! flaming pineapple bowl!

Gene Simmons ain't got nuthin on this chap!

don't ask why his walking stick doesn't burn....
just go with it!

Here's my favorite place in the whole drawing!
a lava waterfall and palms...

that's about it ,friends!
nighters!

"Battle of the Cephalopods" surfboard is awesome!
Beautiful colors on "Land of the Fishes", has a childlike innocence
You know I love the flames on "Faraway Gift"

Wow, so much to catch up on this thread...
"The faraway gift for Pele" is so cool! I like the seahorse too, reminds me of a similar idea I had some years ago. The concept of broken glass and/or stained glas is something I'm very fond of, always reminds me of old a church windows. Now its a pity they don't do moais in their windows but maybe I can talk the pope into it one day :wink: Same goes for "Land of the Fish". Awesome! I keep looking at the scaly fella on the right, goes right through the palm tree. Puts a big smile on my face this morning!

So much more to admire and say but I got to catch my train to work. See ya!

Daaang Ruz!!! Awesome, Awesome stuff.

first i wanna say hi to my friends....
Hi Clarita!
Mahalo girl!!!
I just wish that I would get more beautiful!
If i were most excellently beautiful
i could paint ugly paintings all day
but wouldn't care
'cause i'd be BEAUTIFUL!
Sorry!
What were we talking about?

How is it possible?
My uncle David told me that the best way to be a better artist was to practice/practice/practice
until it's not practice anymore
but actual worthwhile meaningful artwork...
you know how that is!
look at the progress/advancement we've all made
just by sticking to it and doing it til we gots better and better!
Artistic Advancement is rampant here in Other Crafts!
Can't wait to see you advance from bamboo to even "nobler" woods!
How awesome is that gonna be!?!?
Thanks for the visit,sweetie!!

First I want to say, you are beautiful!!
Otherwise you couldn't do beautiful art like you do, that's for sure
then i have to say, i'm not sure I agree with uncle David
because I know a lot of "artists" that think that staying at the work shop all the time, doing stuff over and over and over, is going to make them better artists and what I think is that, that way you can only achieve a better technique, but that don't make meaningful art or meaningful artists, to me to get meaningful, practice is as important as to have a life, and care about other stuff than your art, and about other people, care about being a better human makes a better artist too as much as practicing... that's what I think....
and last but not least I think you are a sweet heart, that shows in your art a lot, actually you must be the only human that called me sweetie and survived to tell the story :) but you know what? coming from you I actually like it, because I think it can't get any sweeter than you :)
thanks for being my friend and a nice person, it totally shows in what you do and that's why i think what you do is meaningful, There, I said it! :)

LLT!
havent checked in for a little while! i had to catch up on all your updates here
first of all, i'd like to say how interesting it has been watching your art evolve and move through different stage/eras. so much of your work branches out all over the place- dipping into many styles of art.
and Secondly- 'The Faraway Gift for Pele' is a fav. the ink like that always catches my eye :D

AwsomeArtSkillz, Kenny!

Alfred Alpaka think Ruzic sux!

Hey MDM!
Thanks man!
Sometimes it's a good thing to show a theme in context to
how it has developed/evolved over the years..
Been wanting to do a Seahorse chariot for some time now
so you may be seeing that soon...
Got an even more developed seahorse from that piece posted below...
I was hoping for the child-like feel when i started that new one
guess it's working...
figgered you'd like those flames...
judging from your signature
you're quite the pyromaniac :lol:

MarkusK-the stained glass pieces began around 6-8 years ago
but it's only recently that they've been resurrected for this current series with the Moai...I've always been drawn to the stained glass of Chagall mostly
but also Matisse...
got to go to the Getty museum a few years back for Stained glass exhibition
and who should have a stained glass there (and some full-scale drawing/cartoons for more) but Albrecht Durer...another of the artists that never fails to inspire and fascinate (esp his Apocalyptic woodcuts!)Seeing these up close showed me how they often paint over the glass and gently scratch off parts to reveal the stained glass below and giving it some great texture and shading effects!True religion doesn't need stained glass,but the beauty and grandeur of it was certainly used to establish the grandeur and "other-worldliness" of the Spiritual world..Folks in the Middle Ages were steered and corralled into the church and their beliefs in the Bible and especially the Church were strenghthened thru these beautiful pieces,just as we are,today, attracted to a glowing box to receive all of our information of the outside world and what to believe...
Sorry for babbling...
but learning about art knowledge is worthless without history and context...
Thanks for the visiting!

jabtiki-Dang! Mahalo for popping by!

Clarita!
You're such a sweetie-pie!
experiencing Life is a part of the artist's development
but not as necessary as
most of the 20 years spent with art
was spent on art and reading...
I'm mostly a hermit
and don't get out and "live" that much...
(granted-when i do go out to events and such
i squeeze 6-8 months of living into that one evening...
get it out of the way and store it up for later
like a squirrel! :lol:
I think the artist absorbs life and is moved by scenes and situations
that they FEEL INTENSELY..it's more like a quality/quantity thing
Most of the time I'm a crabby mean old person who doesn't want to interact with others...too draining...
BUT...in favor of your view
those small moments away from art and enjoying things like Laguna canyon in the morning when i drive to work
feeds that part of the heart and stores it for later
when I'm painting...
Ask most of my friends...
i'm one crabby mean person
when away from the studio
most of the time...
i think about art 75% of the time all throughout the day..
That could be from the Marines, with the discipline and focus of mission...
i think that lack of real "Living"
may be why the joy and laughter and love seeps thru in the pieces...

maybe the technique and all that book-learning
act as a substitute for the actual living in the now...
Anyways, i think for most,that theory of art/work/life balanced together works
i mean, look at Chagall-he was all about LOVE
and his work shows it....
i just wish i could love as deeply as him
cause then the work would get better...
Another way around it,and i often do this...
is to throw cliche's and easily-identified
stereotypes,situations,and symbols into the art..
that way the viewer is subconsciously drawing from their own emotional well
and relating it to the art in front of them....
So, an emotion felt by them is felt deeper because it is
facilitated by symbols and situations
that are easily recognized everywhere...
kind of a parlour-trick for emotionally stunted artists! :lol:
Anyways, thank you so much for your insight
and inspiration when it comes to thinking about the artist's inward life...
usually too busy painting to contemplate...

Any other artists want to chime in?
i imagine there's just as many approaches
as there are artistic personalities.....

Duddy! Good to see you! i think the funnest part about painting for 20-some years
is the ability to build up a body of styles and themes and re-approaching them and mixing them up and helping the work get better,,,That's the funnest part
and the reason i haven't stopped yet...too much cool stuff around the corner!

GROG-it's ALPACA!
grrrrrrr! :lol:

Well.... spent a BUNCH of time on this new piece
when i should be working on other things!
But i think it's almost done...
yesterday was all about the NAPLES YELLOW!

and watching "SHAOLIN DOLEMITE"!

(movies like that keep me balanced...
All Art books and no Dolemite movies makes Kinny a dull artist...

well, here it is....
practically done-just a half-day of touch-ups and finding the missing details
and such....

Also, i darkened boo ben's frame with some burnt umber and a dash of olive!
i may darken it a bit more this week....

I also found the original story behind this scene...
It's part of the kid's book I've been writing fer-friggin-ever!
Found it deep within my Appleworks files....
this is for you Marino! :)

The Little Lost Tiki listening to the Fishes' Song

After thanking the little fellow in the Volcano, the Little Lost Tiki started off again on his his boat. As he sailed off, night fell fast upon the waters. With nothing really to see or do, he decided to get some sleep. He dreamt of his family and friends, and everyone had met along his journey. After a while, he woke up, feeling very sad. It was the middle of the night and everything felt so still and quiet as he slowly floated forward.
The Little Lost Tiki had finally accomplished his task, but didn’t know the way home. The darkness around the boat, and the loneliness in his heart were too much for him to contain, and he wept. Suddenly he detected something strange in the distant darkness. They looked like big sticks, or palm trees without the palm leaves. Rowing closer, he realized that they were torches, unlit, but still torches, and they were sticking out of the water.
“Maybe if I light some of these, someone will see it, and maybe they can show me the way home.”
So he carefully lit one, then two, then more until suddenly the waters seemed to glow, brightening the darkness and reflecting off the surface. The ocean had become shallow as he drifted along and he began to see flowers floating both on the surface and below. they also seemed to glow in the torch light.
It was at that moment that the sound began. First, very low, so quiet that the lapping of the waves almost smothered it, Wiping the tears from his eyes, he strained to hear this haunting sound. As the sound grew louder, he also grew closer. Besides the sounds, there were also the rippling and splashing of the water, as if something were stirring beneath the waves. By now the sound became recognizable. It was a song of sorts.
“Was the water singing?” He thought as the sadness became curiosity which became nervousness. His question was answered that very second as fish of all shapes and sizes began to swirl around the boat, jumping over it, laughing and singing. And this is part of the song they sung...

“BORN FROM THE FAMILY TREE
LIGHTING ALL THE TORCHES
A LITTLE LOST TIKI
CONQUERS FIRE THAT SCORCHES.
LIGHTING UP THE BAY,
AND FEELING SADNESS,
THE FISHES WILL GREET HIM
WITH SONGS AND GLADNESS.
THEY WILL SING A SONG
TO HELP HIM FIND HIS HOME.”

Please excuse any spelling or grammatical errors...
I wrote this in the space of about 30 minutes...
in a trance! :lol:
So now that you have a bit of a story to go with it
maybe you'll enjoy it more! :)

now here's some closer investigations...

he's sad, but the sense of wonder is slowly creeping on his face...
a little less dour than the first,original attempt..

of course...a boat with an orongo prow has been something
I've been playing with for a few years...
I want a boat like this!

Here you can see part of the flowers,
both above and below the surface of the water..

big volcano in shallow water....

Purdy Angelfish-ish thing...

i know a Moai guy in a waterfall who would looove an oar about now! :lol:

Leaping Fishies!

these guys are weird versions of the Dorado...

Close-up!

you can see where i added water-soluble colored pencil to the acrylic
on wood...It gives you another textural element and helps certain areas FAST!

Seashells!

a close-up of the Palm on the left...

and this is for MarkusK and Mad Dog Mikey!
a close-up of the Seahorse!

that's it for now!
Busy day ahead!
Bye friends!

LALALA!http://www.kenruzic.com
http://www.myspace.com/kenruzicdotcom
http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=19904&forum=18&start=0

[ Edited by: little lost tiki 2009-03-21 12:07 ]

Wow! :o

I'm enamored with this piece, seriously.
It's such a cute sweet and sad lil excerpt for lil'lost tiki until he finds the fishies singing for him to find his way home.
It's touching :)
You have to set aside time at some point and really work on this kid's book.
I think it'd be so much fun reading it with a little one!
Or even making a mini-animation for the story. :wink:

The painting itself is coming to life so much now from the last updates I've seen.
I don't know if I mentioned this in post before or not, if so I apologize for the repetition, but I originally thought the new take on the lil'lost would be set during the cloudy day or something, seeing as how the side by side comparison of the original the scenery is so dark and ominous. However, seeing the new update of this piece, I can definitely see the night time scenery you are trying to set, maybe it's the fact that this piece seems a lot more livilier (because of the color choice) that it gave me that wrong impression the first time. I actually like this piece a lot more now than the original solely because it just fits that child-like wonder and gives you that sense of "hooray! there is hope for that lil fellar to go home!" Where as the original piece, again just my silly opinion, comes off more ominous...I mean the fishies look happy, but lil'lost tiki looks like sad sad panda :( like they're not even doing a good job in making him feel better. Does that make sense?

:lol: anyway!

Awesome progress! Naples Yellow rawks!
:D Can't wait to see how this'll look when it's all done!

Good Gawd! I "ditto" Ravenne's vibes on this one.
Absolutely gorgeous job, dood. I wantee.
Behave yourself tonight.
-Andy

Why are your naples yellow? Maybe you should see a doctor about that.

Looks like LLT is in his happy place!

You are a mean and grumpy person? No one mean and grumpy could paint that piece. Or love Chagall the way you do. Seriously. All artists need solitude and inspiration to work. You are culture sponge and then certain bits pour out in the art. You never know where those bits will come from. It's all part of the creative process. Makes perfect sense to me!
This piece is fabulous! I see a lot of gold highlights, too. Beautiful light and detail, as is your signature style. Very large too, yes? Lovely mood and delightful story, too. The fishes and seahorse! Perfection! This reminds me of some of your older pieces at the studio in combo with the recent moai guys stained glass look. LLT has developed into a character everyone wants to put their arms around. I agree, the book needs to be written! OK, gushing is over now. I got work to do myself. See ya Grumpus!

man llt your stuff is great,and whatever place you
find to get inspirered is the place
just make sure to come back to the happy side

Always amazing to see the detail and history that goes behind your pieces. You are a mad man. and I mean that as a compliment.

nice story - I'd like to read your book when it gets finished...maybe a few years from now? :wink: